Finding Home (BilboOFC)
by Adams Shadowdamsel
Summary: 'Come with me. I don't want to go without you' Bilbo said honestly. Niamh sighed, there were things he didn't know about her and that's how she wanted it. There was a life outside the Shire that she shed when she came here 20 odd years ago & was afraid would follow her if she left again, but she's never been able to tell her best friend No when he so rarely asked her for something.
1. Waiting For Forever And A Day

The Hobbit is sensational, Bilbo is adorable and I am in love with Martin Freeman, as such I have come to the conclusion…. There is a serious Bilbo/OFC shortage and so I thought I'd join the fun.

This _**roughly**_ follows the Hobbit film. Some bits in the beginning may not make sense but will be explained later. And no disrespect to the great Tolkien but I created another Middle Earth peoples... and Bilbo's 37-ish not 50... I think those are all the disclaimers for now

I hope you enjoy this!

There was a knock on the door again.

Bilbo almost didn't hear it because the noises from within his house were already so bustling and loud, annoyingly so, that all other sounds had been drowned out completely. Dwarves running in every which way to find the last scarps of food, before settling in his dinning room to their meeting with Thorin who was silently taking sips of his soup whilst thinking.

The knock came at an oddly precise moment, just when the singing had ended and the plates were back where they belonged, Ori ran to take his seat, being last as usual and not till then did Bilbo hear the faint knock against his door.

Thought if he's completely honest, he would've rather not heard the door.

But he did and thus slowly made his way to it 'Alright, I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but would you please be so kind and get lost!' he yelled before opening it.

'I- umm, would you like me to come back tomorrow?' Niamh asked slightly frightened, the small figure moving her hair behind her ear to see his reaction.

His face fell into relief 'Niamh, thank god' he said to his dear friend when he heard another burp coming from the kitchen and he cringed _revolting_

'Bilbo, what's going on, what's that noise?' she asked, seeing figures dance across the walls opposite his kitchen.

'Dwarves have infested my house' he told her 'Maybe it would be best if you came back tomorrow'

_Dwarves in the Shire?_ She cocked her head to the side and made her way in

'Niamh, I don't think this is a good idea' Bilbo called after her as she made her way to the dinning room.

The dwarves were sitting around the table, watching and listening to the person sitting at the head of the table with his back to her.

Everyone looked up when she entered 'Why hello there. Who is this Bilbo?' a large grey wizard asked, getting up to greet her properly

She looked at him for a moment then opened her mouth again to speak 'Aren't you Gandalf, the Wandering Wizard?' she asked him, and then turned to Bilbo then back to him

Gandalf's lips tucked into a small smile and bowed his head lightly ' Why yes I am.'

'This is Niamh, she's a friend' Bilbo announced, looking at Gandalf then the others. The way he said friend made Balin's lips twitch to the sides in a hidden smile, no one else noticed the tone though, maybe this was just because Balin was older and knew to pay attention to details.

'`Evening Miss Niamh' Bofur was the first to say, getting up from his chair to bow his head lightly. Niamh smiled, long had it been since anyone greeted her like a lady rather than a friend.

Everyone else followed soon after with their 'evening's' and the dwarf at the head of the table turned to her and nodded his head slowly 'Good evening Niamh of the Shire, I am Thorin Oakenshield'

She smiled her response and he quickly went back to talking about the task at hand and her attention turned to Bilbo

'Bilbo?' she started, a smile still on her face as she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him a bit further out of the room

'yes?' he said, his tone suggesting he had no clue what question would come, though the tinkle in his eyes made the Hobbit incapable of lying.

'Why are there dwarves in your house?' she asked, pointing to the dinning area

'It's an incredibly complicated story' he sighed, looking over at the dwarves again

'I have time' she insisted

'W-well' he started and then took on a confused expression rather signature to him, eyebrows scrunched together and rather thoughtful of his words 'They want me to join in an adventure'

She didn't know what question popped into her head first; why Bilbo or why a Hobbit at all?

She looked at the group of dwarves and raised an eyebrow confused before looking back at Bilbo 'You realize this sounds mental'

He chuckled, nodding 'Well aware'

'What kind of…. adventure?' she asked, oddly intrigued, it had been a while since anything interesting happened in the Shire, some stolen cabbages and a few small pranks that were pulled by the children of the village were enough to stir commotion now a days.

She adored the Shire for its simple life, but hated that it seem to be filled with a group of people who's hearts never rose, nor sang or skipped a beat. The Hobbit's simply _were_ and they were happy, but she knew of a much larger world and she sometimes wished that more would have the courage to see it, especially Bilbo.

'We are recruiting him to help us take back our home' Bofur said as he passed her by to head to the kitchen for more drink.

'Your home?' she asked, still having the large question of how Bilbo had even gotten involved in this above her head

'Erebor' he called from the kitchen as though they were speaking about how lovely the weather was

Niamh looked back at Bilbo, eyes wide 'Isn't there… a dragon guarding that place?'

'A-a what?' Bilbo asked, turning to Gandalf who had paid more attention to their conversation than Thorin's

Gandalf looked at the little figure standing a good two inches shorter than Bilbo intrigued, how did a Hobbit know something like that?

'Yes, a dragon has been residing there for 60 years now. How does a Hobbit like you know about this?'

Niamh merely shrugged, looking down and pouted 'Heard about it, can't remember where' she lied and hoped that would be enough to settle Gandalf's nerves

It didn't but he merely nodded and let her pass with that statement 'I suppose stranger things have happened. Now dear Niamh, would you happen to know where Bilbo keeps his brandy?' he asked and she knew this was a way to get her out of the room. This quest did not concern her and the wizard didn't want a fragile Hobbit to get too worked up about it.

He would soon realize she was not one to need looking after, but she nodded and went to the next room to find some, giving Bilbo's shoulders a gentle reassuring squeeze as she passed him.

Through the walls Niamh only heard half the conversation between the dwarves, but what she could understand is that there was a door that couldn't be opened, with a dragon that's lived there for years, a key to a door that cannot be found and other people who may steal their gold.

In gold and riches Niamh wasn't very interested, her whole life she's only seen people crumble and fall to the power that riches gave them.

When she came back into the room Gandalf thanked her politely and she looked over his shoulder unnoticeably at the map and frowned 'And how do you plan to get into the mountain and slip by undetected?' Niamh asked, looking at the map in confusion and she could see out of the corner of her eyes Thorin grunt under his breath, obviously not very enthusiastic to have an uninvited outside party take place in their meeting.

'Master Baggins is to be our Burglar' Nori said, looking hopefully at Bilbo

Niamh's head cocked to the side 'Bilbo? Bilbo's never stolen a thing in his life' she said and Bilbo pointed to her and nodded in agreement 'There you have it'

'Master Baggins is a Hobbit, they are quick on their feet and can be unseen if they choose. Also while dragons are use to the scent of dwarves, the scent of Hobbit will seem undetectable. You have asked me to find the 14th member and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than can be seen, even by himself'

Niamh smiled and looked at Bilbo out of the corner of her eye, at least the Wizard speaks the truth.

Balin got up then to give Bilbo a contract and looked at Niamh with a smile 'help him look over that deary, make sure you catch the fine print'

The contract was long and in some cases difficult to understand, as most contracts are. Some parts made sense while others vaguely did and the scratched in bit that all food not a necessity for survival will go to Bombur was ignored all together.

Bilbo muttered a few things under his breath, profit not exceeding 14 per cent, if any, things along those lines, but when Niamh read silently ahead, three words stood out rather quickly and soon Bilbo caught them as well

'Incineration' he asked, the panic building in his being and Niamh saw the colour of his face pale

'Think furnace, with wings!' Bofur said as though that was suppose to reassure Bilbo in the slightest. Niamh gave him a look and his smile slightly faded and he sat back in his seat and she turned to him

'Are you alright?' she asked with a faint smile on her lips, trying to lighten the fact he looked as though someone had punched him repeatedly in the stomach.

'Fine.' He said far too quickly, resting his hands on his knees and took deep breaths

'I need air' he said, trying to focus on his breathing and when Niamh heard Bofur try to 'encourage' him again she turned to him and suggested he let her handle it with as polite of a smile as she could muster.

Though in that moment there was a thump and Niamh quickly turned around to see Bilbo on the ground, passed out

'Shit' she said loud enough for a few dwarves to chuckle and made her way to Bilbo, kneeling next to him

'Bilbo? Bilbo wake up' she said and gently slapped his cheek a few times before she saw him begin to stir

'Incineration' she could hear him mutter a few more times under his breath as he slowly gained consciousness.

She gave off a halfhearted chuckle 'Bilbo Baggins, you gave me a fright'

'I think we should bring master Baggins to a chair' Gandalf said, an almost amused look on his face as he helped Niamh get Bilbo to his feet

Bilbo's head lolled to the sides a bit as he slowly regained conscienceless, flopping into the chair and Niamh looked at Gandalf

'Mr. Gandalf, are you sure Bilbo is the right choice for this?'

Gandalf looked at Bilbo for a moment then turned to Niamh 'How long have you known Master Baggins?'

She bit her lip and squinted an eye closed to think 'Hmm, roughly 20 years? We met 20 years ago, we've been friends for something like 10, good friends for 7' she said in detail

'Do you remember when he would get into all sorts of trouble around here. He use to be obsessed with getting out of the Shire' he sighed and looked back down at Bilbo 'When did Bilbo turn boring?' he asked hopelessly and Niamh smiled slightly

'He isn't boring Mr. Gandalf, this is what the Shire does to Hobbits. They start to believe the world is no more than the hilltops and houses of Hobbiton'

He sighed again and nodded to himself as Bilbo was slowly coming back to himself 'I believe there's still some Took in him, I suppose'

'There is' she insisted, making her way to the kitchen to make him some tea 'You just need to smoke him out of this bloody house first' she smiled and went to the kitchen

When she returned a few moments later Bilbo was awake, speaking to Gandalf about the Tooks and Gandalf telling Bilbo about adventure's and how'd he'd have plenty of his own to tell when he returned.

'Can you promise I will come back?' Bilbo asked, looking up at Gandalf as if hoping he wouldn't know the answer

'No, and even if you do, you won't be the same'

Bilbo looked at the ground for a moment then met Niamh's eyes from across the room and held her gaze for just a moment

'That's what I thought, I'm sorry Gandalf, I can't sign this' he said and got up and made his way out of the room.

The room was silent for a moment as Niamh still stood behind Gandalf and watched the hall Bilbo had disappeared into.

'Will you speak to him again?' Came the low grumble from the wizard sitting in the chair before her.

'I do not know if he will listen to me' she sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and stood to face him

He looked up at her with an observant expression on his face 'Do you believe he should go?'

Niamh paused for a moment, she wasn't sure if Bilbo was cut out for something like this, a life like what the Dwarves have come to see as normal. But Bilbo has grown too accustomed to the habitual life of the Shire and maybe he really needed an adventure...

'Give me till morning, I'll try my best though I can't make any promises' she said, nodding her head with a smile to bid him a goodnight then disappeared down the same hallway Bilbo had.

She knocked on his bedroom door carefully, but she could hear the annoyed sigh through the thick door

'Bilbo it's me' Niamh whispered, looking around as though worried someone might want to help with the convincing, but all the dwarves had left for the living room to discuss their plans.

'Come in' he said almost reluctantly and she entered before he could change his mind. He was lying on his bed, on the far side but facing her, he looked tired and troubled. 'Have they gone?' he asked, pinched the bridge of his nose.

'No they're in the living room plotting, I think they're forging up a plan without you now' she smiled weakly, making her way to the bed to sit at the end of it. There was a pause, no more than a second, but present, before Bilbo merely nodded 'oh, good good'

'Are you sure you don't want to do this Bilbo?' she asked, watching him as his eyes fixated on the door 'you've spent your whole life in the Shire. Are you sure you won't regret letting this go?'

'I'm not risking my life for an adventure. I know you had yours before you came to the Shire but I'm not cut out for this'

She sighed and laid herself down next to him, facing him and his eyes redirected to meet hers.

'My adventure's weren't anything as memorable as helping the Dwarves take back their home. I would take this chance in a heartbeat but they want you' '

Bilbo looked at his hands and thought for a moment, lips pressed in a thin line

'Just... promise me you'll sleep on it?' she begged, green eyes shining in the faint light coming from his window and he sighed 'I will.'

She smiled and got up 'You're not leaving me alone with them are you?' he asked a bit more panicked than needed be and she chuckled 'You're far too frightened of what you do not know... Master Baggins' she mocked, bowing her head as Gandalf had.

'And you're not as funny as you think, Niamh of the Shire' he said and pulled her back on the bed by her arm. She laid on the bed next to him and rubbed her eyes

'Going to make me stay here till the mean Dwarves go away?' she said, eyes already falling closed

'Perhaps' he smiled down at the little creature in his bed. A faint smile stayed on her lips till sleep claimed her and silence swept over the room.

Bilbo sighed and moved the covers over the two of them. Would this be with any other Hobbit, Bilbo would feel incredibly awkward sharing his bed, but this was Niamh, and Bilbo had feared that he was no longer seen as anything other than a brother, not a potential partner.

He closed his eyes and thought of going on this adventure, the stories he could tell when he returned. But Bilbo belonged in the Shire where nothing ever happened and no one was ever hurt and though this meant he would live the rest of his life with no real stories to tell and not feel courageous enough for the girl he had admired for her bravery for years, it was better this way... wasn't it?


	2. Come With Me

_**Thank you so much to everyone who read, favorite-d, followed and reviewed this story, it means a lot! Please let me know what you think and if Bilbo's in character. Thanks again!**_

_**PS. Sorry if the formatting is a bit weird sometimes... still new to this.**_

* * *

Bilbo woke up at an ungodly hour, eyes feeling heavy even while eyelids remained shut tight, fighting for more sleep but eventually they opened to a room too bright for the hour it was.

Bilbo had a second, just one second where the events of last night weren't in his mind and he could wake up peacefully to a still sleeping Niamh.

Niamh didn't look like most of the Hobbits in the Shire. Her body was far too thin for normal Hobbit size and her feet were also too small. In addition, she was short, even by Hobbit standards. Her skin was porcelain pale and eyes were a bright green while others in the Shire and around were only either brown or blue and she had a sense for adventure that had brought her in trouble a lot when she first came to the Shire 20 years ago, a small teen Hobbit with trousers instead of a dress, dirt on her face and a twinkle for mischief in her eyes.

Bilbo had met her after she had initiated an unplanned fireworks show during one summer's night that set the town in frenzy. She'd shown up at his door because it was the first she could find and begged for a place to hide and though he knew his parents would disapprove of her stay, he let her in and waited for the rumble of the events to die down.  
Though years passed before they knew each other on a bases more intimate than greeting on a stroll through the village, their friendship grew by the years and in recent times, to some, they seemed inseparable.

The years in the Shire have seemed to mellow Niamh's soul, she's kept herself occupied by hunting for the Hobbits around the Shire and living a calm life with her drink and friends. The only thing now that would make her stick out in a crowd was her hair, reddish brown but full of life and curly waves, never being tamed even if she's tried, forever falling in her face and containing the mischief still brewing in her brain.

Bilbo sat up slowly, attempting not to wake her and then he realized what was just behind his door.  
His head fell in his hands and he sighed before mustering up his courage and made his way outside to see if the dwarves had gone.

The house was silent, irritatingly so when compared to last night and as Bilbo searched skeptically through every room, all sign of the dwarves had gone. He sighed in relief, the nightmare was over, they had made their way to the Lonely Mountain without him and he could continue to live his life as though it had not happened.

'Bilbo?' he heard a voice calling, a note or two lower than an average female may have and husky from just waking up, Bilbo made his way to the living room where Niamh was.  
'Good Morning' he said with a smile too enthusiastic to be believable, there was a part of him trying to tell him to find the dwarves and come along, but he was attempting to suppress it as much as he could.

'Hello' she said, eyes only half open and the blanket from his bed still around her for warmth and he chuckled 'You look well rested' he joked and she stuck out her tongue like a child and held something between her fingers, it was the contract.  
'They left this for you' she told him, a hopeful tone still somewhere in her voice.

'I'm not going' he said, standing up a bit straighter to show he was serious and Niamh pressed her lips in a thin line and looked down  
'Alright' she said disappointed and Bilbo knew it, he hated to disappoint, especially young Niamh  
There was a moments pause before Niamh took off the blanket and placed it on a chair 'Well I am going home to sleep because you snore and I have to be up in a few hours' she said, rubbing her eyes with a coy smile on her face

'I do not snore!' He insisted but then wrapped his arms around her to bid his friend goodbye.  
She smiled against his chest 'I'm not cooking tonight unless you want to eat raw vegetables picked out of the garden with scotch' she warned him before he could ask.  
'I'll cook' he agreed and soon realized that there wasn't much to cook with… he'll figure that out later  
'Night Bilbo' she said with a small chuckle and left his home with that

She walked to her house with limited disturbances, but this was the Shire and disturbances weren't very common anyway. God how she wished she could drag Bilbo to the Lonely Mountain just in order to get him out of here…

She closed the door behind her and rubbed her eyes again, yawning. She didn't get all too much sleep last night, she seemed more thoughtful about the journey than he was and thus was kept up most of the night by any bustling in the kitchen living or dinning room.

But Bilbo slept soundly as though nothing of interest had happened at all, he can be so narrow minded when he chose to be.

She sighed and made her way to bed, sleep claiming her before her head fully hit the pillow and dreamt of her life before the Shire, something she hasn't dared to do in years.

* * *

'Niamh!' she heard Bilbo call a few times, each time the voice came closer before he was violently pounding on the door 'Niamh open up!' he said in an excited tone she hasn't heard from Bilbo for several years.

She groaned loudly and sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes. The clock spoke of a time not 30 minutes later than it had been when she fell asleep and she was rather sure she was going to strangle Bilbo if this wasn't important.  
With an annoyed grunt she got out of her warm soft bed and made her way to the door 'what is it Bilbo?' she groaned again and opened the door  
'Get backed!' is all he said before rushing through her door and into her bedroom.

'What?' she called confused and rushed after him, suddenly completely awake. Bilbo came into her room and looked around frantically for a few seconds before finding a backpack.  
'We're going, I signed it' he smiled at her and stuffed some random things into her bag he thought she'd desperately need.

She stood there in the room for a few seconds while he packed a load of nonsensical stuff into a far too small backpack before she put all those words together into the sentence it was.  
'No! Wait, Bilbo, I'm not going with you!' she yelled, trying to snatch him by his arm when he came past her  
'Well of course you are, are you mad, I'm not going without you' he chuckled and continued to pack  
She faked that chuckle with despair in the sound and followed him  
'Bilbo I'm a girl… Thorin will never let me join'

That sounded like a compelling argument, right?  
'Well, then Thorin will have to live with that, he didn't seem too keen having me along to start with' he said, roaming through the kitchen and let his nose lead the way to the things that should be brought along. Another characteristic Niamh had that no other Hobbit did was her inability to cook, food was served liquid and most always contained rum in her home because she wasn't capable of following a recipe for anything other than sweet bread and sour dough.

She watched him pack, and her heart was racing. She couldn't do this! She couldn't go take back a kingdom with a wizard, a hobbit and a few dwarves! It's been years since she's done anything worth mentioning and she enjoyed that.

Well, enjoyed may not be the proper phrase. She missed the adventures, before the Shire, before meeting the group of people here she's come to call her friends. But she did not miss the fear, the never having a chance to relax, and the fright that lived in her very bones screaming at her no matter how hard she tried to shake it.

Bilbo didn't understand that, to him this is his chance to do something, for her this is a straight path to lose everything.  
'Bilbo, I can't go' she said sturdily, sitting in a chair in her kitchen while he stopped by the tone in her voice and turned to her  
'You're the one who was trying so desperately to convince me that this was a good idea and now you're afraid?'

'This is different for me. Can you just trust me and drop that bag' she said in a slightly lighter tone, pointing to the bag in his hands overflowing with her sourdough bread.

He placed the backpack gently on the kitchen counter and went to sit next to her 'I'm not going without you' he told her as though this shouldn't be a surprise to her, almost confused as to why she would think otherwise.

'I-I have to hunt, for the Shire, what are they going to do here without me?' she said, it didn't sound convincing, she knew that and when Bilbo snorted slightly, her confidence didn't grow.  
'They managed for centuries here without a hunter' he said and took her hands 'Niamh you have to come with me. It's an adventure! And I know that you miss those' he told her sweetly, observing her even when she let her head fall and she looked at their hands.  
'I'm not the same Hobbit I was when I came to the Shire, Bilbo. I don't know how much good I'd do on an adventure'

'You'll still be better off than me' he said with a nervous chuckle and placed a hand under her chin so she would look at him  
'Come with me. I don't want to go without you' he said honestly and if Niamh hadn't learned to hide her blush around Bilbo he would've mentioned it.

A long moment passed and Niamh knew that there were things Bilbo didn't know about her and that's how she wanted it. There was a life outside of the Shire that she shed when she came here 20 odd years ago and was afraid would follow her if she left again, but her insides sparked with the thought of doing something, really doing something that was dangerous… an adventure and anyway, she's always been unable to tell Bilbo No when he so rarely asked something of her.  
She sighed 'I'm going to need to borrow a shirt of yours, living here I've learned to hunt in trousers and a dress but I do doubt it will come in handy while on our journey'


	3. I'm Not Weak

_**Thank you again so much to everyone who reads/follows/reviews/favorites this story! **_

* * *

Bilbo's face lit up like a little child during Christmas and he rushed to get his bag faster than Niamh had time to realise what a stupid idea this was.

She looked around her kitchen for a moment, she wasn't sure how to feel at this moment; worried, panicked, excited, intrigued or sick but she took deep breaths and brushed her hand through her hair, waiting for Bilbo to come back.

'This may be too big on you' he said, holding up a light blue button down shirt as he walked back into the room as though trying to eye if it'd fit her or not.  
'It'll have to do, I seem pretty backed' she said, looking down at the backpack filled with bread and nonsense and looked up at him with a worried smile then sighed 'Turn around' she said, an almost whining tone in the voice as she realised this probably wasn't the smartest thing to say yes to and he turned around and looked through some of the books in her collection  
'I'll finally find out what you do on Full Moons' he started, finger trailing along the spine of a book and she gave off a confused chuckle  
'What do you mean?'

'Don't think I don't notice the only nights you don't come over are when there's a full moon... are you a werewolf?' he asked, turning around to look at her with a chuckle, forgetting he wasn't suppose to yet  
'Bilbo, turn around!' she yelled, trying to button up the shirt faster  
'Sorry!' he said with a blush and a chuckle, turning around quickly, hands in the air as though to show his innocence and she rolled her eyes  
'Don't let it happen again... and no I'm not a werewolf. Gandalf was right, you really do live in your books'

Bilbo didn't know that he wasn't far off, she wasn't a werewolf by any means but she did relay on the moonlight more than she wanted to let him know… and explain.  
_This was such a bad idea._

'Aright, I look as ready as I'll ever be' she said with a slight sigh and he turned to hand her her bag.

The shirt was far too big on her, almost white blue against sheer skin it looked as though it was eating her. Though Bilbo knew she was small he never realised how _tiny_ this girl actually was compared to him. She tried to tie it in the back but the shoulders of the shirt still hung off her arms, exposing the perfectly shielded skin of her right shoulder and collarbone to him.

He didn't quite know how collarbone and skin could be intriguing but Niamh somehow always seemed to manage it. He's wanted that skin for a long time, longer than he cares to recall, but now was not the time to think about that.

'Let's go then' he said, a smile on his face though hers seemed less enthusiastic and held out his hand

She looked at it reluctantly for a moment then sighed and took it 'I will blame you for everything that goes wrong' she warned and he just chuckled lightly and nodded, accepting that responsibility

* * *

'Wait!' Bilbo called, picking up his pace a bit to catch up with the Dwarves, Niamh following a little further behind.  
'I signed it!' he yelled and one by one they started to slow and look in his direction.  
'I signed it' he huffed out, trying to catch his breath and Niamh was quickly at his side again, inhaling deeply and smiling at Gandalf who seemed pleased to see her.  
'What is she doing here?' were the first words out of Thorin's mouth

Niamh looked at Bilbo then at Thorin, she really didn't know what she was doing here, but sighed 'I have decided I would like to help you take back your home' she said, as truthful a tone as she could muster but Thorin still snorted  
'A female halfling... I appreciate your courage but go back to the Shire where you belong'

Niamh completely ignored that comment, she wasn't really all too interested in what Thorin thought even if he was the leader. She was packed, in a shirt and 3 miles from home, she wasn't turning back now.

She set down her backpack and looked at him 'I don't really care if you appriciate my courage. Accept it or not I am coming along' she said a bit too arrogant for Throin's liking and Bilbo wondered if Niamh actually knew she wasn't helping her situation by challenging Thorin.  
'She's the Shire's only hunter' Bilbo tried  
Thorin did all but roll his eyes and looked at her 'I'm not looking for the best of the worst'  
'Well... well I'm not going without her' Bilbo said, standing as tall as he could in front of Thorin's horse and kept a strong gaze.

Gandalf looked down at the little girl and then at Nori, who now owed him double his winnings. There may have been bets all around that Bilbo would follow and join along but Balin and Gandalf were the only ones who knew Bilbo would never leave the Shire without Niamh, anyone who bothered to notice could see that.

Thorin's eyes flew to Gandalf 'I'm not letting a girl come alone' he snared as though being a girl was the most revolting, useless thing to be 'She won't be able to fend for herself. She's weak.'

"I am not weak' she growled, words almost threatening even in a figure so small  
'How are you going to defend yourself? Against an Orc? A Goblin? Do you expect Mr. Baggins to save you?'

Niamh's nostrils flared and she looked at Kili 'May I borrow your bow?'  
Kili looked at Thorin whose expression could not be read and handed Niamh his bow and arrow 'Thank you'

She placed the arrow to the bow and strung it back with two fingers and closed her eyes  
Bilbo looked at her confused as most of the others did, only Thorin and Gandalf watched attentively  
'What are you doing?' Dwalin asked, intrigued but she hissed a quick shush in his direction and continued to focus on the sound of the trees.

Another few seconds passed before Thorin had had enough 'I don't know what you're playing at but-' he started, but before his voice could grow angrier Niamh raised the bow, eyes still closed, and shot behind Gandalf towards the trees.

A small cry came from the old tree as a raven, too far from home, fell out from the leaves and landed roughly in front of Ori.

The group of dwarves stared at the Raven for a moment before looking at each other then at her and Bilbo merely chuckled hopelessly in amazement. 'I don't miss and I've got ears like a bat. If nothing else I'll be a good watch dog for you all' she snorted and handed Kili back his bow with an appreciative smile and then picked up her backpack. 'I'm coming with you whether you approve of it or not.' She told him again

Thorin looked at the Raven for a moment then back at Niamh 'You will have to divide the 14th share with Mr. Baggins...'  
'I'm not interested in your gold' she said, standing tall with her backpack thrown over her shoulder.  
Thorin looked at her with an expression she will come to ignore and nodded once 'get them ponies' he said and continued along.


	4. Take a Minute Just To Breathe

**_(I'm rather nervous posting this chapter... but might as well rip off the band-aid right?_**

**_Right, so this chapter has a lot of disclaimers. First, again I hope I have brought no disrespect to the great Tolkien with creating another Middle Earth peoples. Second, I have not read the books, I have tried to do as much Wiki research as I could but if you're a die hard reader of these books and know where every creature came from and why, I do hope my explanation as to what exactly Niamh is makes sense and doesn't clash with anything.)_**

* * *

A day or two into their journey they seemed no closer or further from Erebor than they had the day prior, everything to Niamh looked roughly the same and now it had also started to rain.

'Bilbo?' Niamh called a few steps behind, her pony shaking its head to the feel of the rain pouring down on it.  
The rain was heavy, pouring in what felt like tons on the group of travellers as they continued along. The rain was also loud, crashing against the leaves, taking some as victims on their way to the earth and Bilbo didn't hear Niamh call the second or third time either.

'Bilbo Baggins I blame you for this!' she yelled loud enough that everyone besides Balin Nori and Thorin in the far front could hear her and Bilbo turned his head cautiously on his pony, still worried if the creature will throw him off at any given moment and gallop free into the forest to seek shelter as he thought they should have done the second this rain had started.

'I told you everything bad that happens on this journey is your fault, thus, I wish for you to be blamed for this' she said, attempting to sound as serious as she could but there was still a coy smile on her face  
Gandalf chuckled behind her while Bilbo merely smiled

'And what if something good happens? Will I be blamed as well then?' he said as she picked up her speed to catch up to him  
'Well in that case we will just have to see what your involvement was' she smirked and looked back at Gandalf

'Can't you make this rain stop Mr. Gandalf?' she asked, her hair freezing against her already cold skin as it absorbed the rain like a sponge  
'It is raining Dear Niamh, and it will continue to rain until the rain stops. You will have to consult another wizard for something like that'

'There are others? Like you?' Niamh asked though she'd heard that there were others, logically there had to be.  
'Yes, there are 5 of us. The most powerful being Saruman the white. Then there are the two blues…who's names have escaped me and Radacast the brown'

'Is he a great wizard, or is he like you?' Bilbo asked, slightly too wet and tired and cold to realise that was a rude thing to say and Niamh hit him on the arm.  
'Rude' she whispered at him.

Gandalf looked at Bilbo for a moment then back at the path ahead 'I think he's a great wizard, he's a gentle soul who lives in the forest and prefers the company of animals'  
Niamh smiled, _that sounds nice._

Bilbo was content with that answer and the group continued along till the rain let up and only then did Thorin suggest they set up camp for the night.

* * *

Both of the Hobbits, residing in the closet things they could build to sleeping-bags, watched the flies hovering over Gloin's head disappear into his mouth in a rumbling loud snore then a few seconds escape again.

'That is disgusting' Bilbo said, not sure yet if it revolted or annoyed him more.

Niamh chuckled 'It's like a pub fight, you want to help but you just can't look away' she said, cocking her head to the side as they were sucked into his mouth yet again

Bilbo chuckled but let his head fall into the blanket he's made into a pillow 'That noise! I will never be able to sleep during this' he chuckled in despair and turned to her 'Never told you how impressive that Raven thing was. With the rain I doubt you would've heard me either way.' he smiled weakly

She smiled and sat up 'Well thanks, glad all my years of hunting paid off' she said and looked at him for a moment '… how are you holding up?' she asked as he rubbed his eyes 'Fine, just far from home' he mustered a weak smile

'You get use to it' she tried telling him and he put on his best forced smile 'Maybe you're right'

She sighed and tried fluffing up her sad attempt at a pillow 'Maybe you'll dream of the Shire'

Bilbo closed his eyes, unhappy and unsure but Gloin's snoring had mellowed and soon sleep took him.

* * *

Niamh waited till she was positive Bilbo was asleep. Most of the others had been a sleep for a while now anyway and the only one awake was Thorin and he wasn't about to go following her.

She made her way further up the mountain they were residing on, wishing the last she hadn't abandoned her love of climbing when she moved to the Shire.

The moon was almost full and gazed down at her when she made it to the top, far enough above to be alone but still with a view on the men resting below.

She bathed in the moonlight, almost drinking in the light it gave her and she knew this would be the only time she would be able to before they make their way further into the forest. Her skin tingled to the touch of the moon as most would to the warmth of the sun.

She exhaled deeply and she felt for the first time since setting out, at peace.

'Good evening Miss. Niamh' Gandalf rumbled behind her and she almost burst out of her skin, an uneasy feeling growing in the stomach as she turned to the Wizard.

'Blimmy! You gave me a fright' I faked a chuckle and quickly got out of the moonlight. 'How are you Mr. Gandalf?'

'Quite well' Gandalf observed her for a moment from head to toe, her hair shined a brighter shade of red in the moonlight and though he knew she had been hiding something, he doesn't understand why he couldn't see it sooner.

They started a staring competition, one that Niamh knew she would lose but reluctantly Gandalf blinked first to ask 'Does Bilbo know?' with a cross between a sincere and authoritative tone.

She knew what he meant, and she wondered how she could've been naive enough to believe she wouldn't be figured out throughout this quest. But how could he know? Wasn't the full moon a few days from now?

'I-I'm not sure I know what you're talking about' She cleared her throat and looked at the ground, kicking a stone to the side lightly.

A low grumble of a chuckle came from Gandalf's throat and he looked off as well 'Ahh, he doesn't'

She looked at the fire in the distance behind him and gave off a shaky exhale before meeting his eyes again 'He mustn't know' She said with as sturdy a tone as she could muster. 'None of them must know, but especially Bilbo. Please Gandalf.'

He relaxed into a tired smile 'Dear Niamh, surely your secret is safe with him. He doesn't mean to do you any harm.'

She just shook her head violently 'No. No-I know that but I just can't tell him. I've been pretending to be a Hobbit for a good 20 years now and I've been, lying to him Gandalf, Bilbo's a nice hobbit, he's been a great friend and I've done nothing but lie to him' she said in hopeless despair, the words weighing heavy on her soul as she sat on a stone and rubbed her arm awkwardly 'I'm ashamed Mr. Gandalf, of what I am'

Gandalf stood there looking down at the little creature in front of him. Though strong in will and might she looked so breakable in the moonlight, shadows of the leaves dancing on her body as she wiped the only tear she would let escape.

Gandalf took a seat next to her and she redirected her gaze to him 'When llu'vatar created Middle-Earth, he created the Ainur from his own thoughts to help him

Once Middle-Earth was created he gave the Ainur a choice to live with him or continue to watch over the world they created, making them Vala's' Gandalf told her as though she didn't know the story, she knew it better than most in Middle-Earth did now a days but Gandalf believed if she heard it again, rather than just know it, she would see there wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

'Some of the Vala's later became Maia-'

'Wizards' she said quietly but looked up at him with a small smile

'Yes, others chose a life of lesser authority and became Helinks. Envied by all for their elegance and passion for life. Dear Niamh, you have nothing to be ashamed of.' He said, placing a strong hand on her shoulder.

She snorted lightly, attempting to be polite and looked at her hands 'Helinks were once envied Mr. Gandalf but that was so long ago, before any of my family could remember. Decades, of being hunted, slaughtered like cattle for profit.' she sniffled, refusing to cry and moved her head to look away from him

''We chose a life different from the Vala because we wanted to experience life rather than watch it from afar and rule over it. But once the wars started, those who escaped stopped caring about the beauty of nature and the kindness of others and relied on their bows and swords for comfort.' she shrugged rubbed her hands together, giving off a bitter chuckle 'A people of honor have become no more than savages waiting for a wounded creature of any species to come by.'

Gandalf cocked his head to the side and looked at the figure 'And you?' Gandalf asked, he knew about the recent history of the Helink though for most they have become no more than myths, an entire species of people reduced to legends.

But what Gandalf wanted to know was why this Helinks sitting next to him was so far away from all the others who still hunted in the forests so far from here?

'My family was hunted so we separated to the east; some sot refuge in Rivendell but the Elves couldn't help them for long. Some went to the dwarves but not for residence, just for shelter till they were strong enough to hunt again' she paused for a moment and ran her hand through her hair.

'I would rather hide what I am than disgrace what Helinks use to stand for... So I came to the Shire, pretended to be a Hobbit and made a good life for myself. A simple one, you know... with Bilbo, and the others. It's the closet thing to home. Hobbit's enjoy life though they do not know much about it.'

Another long moment passed as both looked off into the endless darkness of the night and Niamh felt as though the tiniest bit of the boulder on her shoulders was chipped away. She had never told anyone who she was before. Gandalf looked down at the figure again and she looked up at him 'Well your secret is safe with me Dear Niamh' he smiled kindly at her and placed a hand on her cheek and he could see her body relax as she smiled lightly.

'Thank you Gandalf'


	5. Don't you Wanna Have, Fun?

This isn't the crowning achievement of my non-existent literary career but I need Niamh to connect to the rest of the group a bit more. I apologize for the late update; not only does a new semester start today but my parents anniversary was yesterday.

Anyway, as usual thank you so much for reading! You have no clue how much it means!

* * *

The next few days weren't very eventful. It continued to rain as though it was mocking the group as they made their way and thus the moon had disappeared into the darkness of the clouds.

They settled near a lake for a break they had needed two days ago. Thorin was being ruthless with his route and schedule but Niamh wasn't going to be the one to tell him that, he already looked at her far too annoyed for her liking.

She ate one of the last sourdough breads she had in her soggy backpack and shared it with Bilbo who was attempting to keep the two of them dry underneath a tree.

'I swear if this bloody rain doesn't end soon…' she growled though she knew there was nothing they could do. She's always hated the rain and this one was extremely aggravating because it didn't stop until the hours where the night kissed the day and then, before any of them had a real chance to sleep, they were on the move again.

'It has to stop eventually' Bilbo said optimistically though his optimism was running thin. There wasn't a moment when he didn't think of his warm bed and sheltered hilltops and as the rain continued, it weighed even heavier on his thoughts.

'Miss. Niamh?' Fili said, walking up to her with a smile on his face, Kili not far behind.

'Yes?' she asked, rather confused as his smile turned into a smirk

'Would you care to help us with something?' Kili asked, holding out his hand to her. Niamh looked at Bilbo who merely shrugged and then at the two dwarves and with a raised eyebrow, took his hand.

'Fili thought he saw something in the water, maybe you could tell us what it is?' they said, leading her to the edge of the rock paved shore to look at something in the water.

She observed the discreet push and pull of the lake for a moment, the rain joining the water in the lake and her eyes narrowed 'I don't see anything' she said, suddenly beginning to think there was something wrong with this situation.

'No, keep looking, we promise it's there!' Fili insisted, pointing to the water 'Right there'

She took another step closer to the water and still saw nothing.

Soon Kili was behind her and Fili in front, grabbing her by her arms and legs and she screeched as she lost contact with the ground.

'Let me go!' she yelled in surprise as the brothers laughed and swayed her back and forth and few times and she knew what was coming, everyone knew.

She had just enough time to hold her breath and squint her eyes shut when the two inseparable dwarves let her go and she flew a few feet and landed with a loud splash in the lake, the water freezing her to the bones and her head surfaced from the water with a squeal.

'You horrible, horrible dwarves!' she screeched though she was trying hard not to laugh. At this point, she was soaking with or without being thrown into the water, but she still had to stay in motion to stop herself from sinking and the water in her eyes weren't helping her seem threatening either.

Around the shore the other dwarves were breaking out into laughter, Bifur, who Niamh admits did freak her out a bit with his secret dwarf language and slightly mental persona, was keeling over with laughter as though nothing on this planet has ever been that amusing to him.

'Oh come on Miss. Niamh, it's already raining! We might as well enjoy a swim' Fili said with a smile too cheery for Niamh and her eyes narrowed again, but she merely shook her head and enjoyed the water, realizing they were right and once the water stopped being freezing, it did sooth her aching body.

To make her feel better, Bofur was soon on the swing made of rope that hung off a tree over the Lake and landed vaguely near to join her.

'Welcome to the dark side Master Bofur' she said with a smile.

Bofur smiled at her before swimming away to find his hat, which was beginning to float away.

'Come on Bilbo, the waters wet, just like it is outside' she yelled with a grin, lying on her back and letting herself float for a few seconds before Ori's jumping off the swing and landing in the water with a huge splash caught her off guard.

'I'm wet enough at it is, thank you' Bilbo said, trying to light his pipe under the tree and Niamh rolled her eyes and looked to Balin. By this time Kili and Fili had joined them as well and Bifur and Nori were taking off their coats to join along.

'Master Balin, please join us!' she called but he just smiled and shook his head 'I'm alright here lass'

Next to him sat Dori and Gandalf who both shook their heads before she could even ask and she pouted but turned back to Bilbo 'Bilbo come on! Don't be a sour sport!' she called, moving her hands to splash him with water just as his pipe was starting to light.

'Oops' she said, a smirk on her face as he looked down at the pipe he spent the last 7 minutes trying to light.

'You little troll' he said looking up at her and took off his jacket

Bilbo made his way into the water and started swimming towards Niamh.

'Bofur, help!' she squealed, starting to swim in the other direction as Bilbo made his way to her. She hid behind Bofur who had put on his hat again and tried to keep a straight face as Bilbo attempted to grasp after Niamh.

This was the first time since their journey began that everyone had just one single moment to breathe and relax and have fun. Bofur, Kili and Fili had already taken a liking towards Niamh; she had a love of fun and life and in their eyes that made her a part of the group rather quickly.

When Niamh took her chance to swim away, Bilbo was quickly behind her, almost catching up to her when they heard someone call.

'What is going on here?' Thorin said, walking up to the lakeside and looked at his fellow company just as Bifur dunked Nori's head under water.

'Would you care to join us Thorin? Niamh rather stupidly asked, there was sarcasm in her tone, but with Thorin's current feelings rather grim towards her, it may have not been the best choice of words.

'May I have a word?' he asked her, expression angry though she's started to believe it was just the expression Thorin carried around with him like others wore scars.

Everyone looked at her as some would a kid who's gotten in trouble at school as she made her way further out of the water and to Thorin, sending Balin an quick small smile on her way and he returned it.

He understood Thorin and the journey at hand, but he enjoyed the girl's spirit and knew Thorin was excepting a bit too much of the wary travelers.

Thorin pulled her further from the group by her arm.

'Do you think this is a Holiday?' Thorin growled down at her

'No, of course not… We've been traveling non-stop for days, we were having a little fun' she tried telling him but his face didn't lighten. She decided not to bring up that Kili and Fili had thrown her into the water because Thorin would find a way to blame her either way.

'You are a distraction for my men'

'Well I've always been told I am rather pretty for a Hobbit but-' she trailed off, she wasn't trying to make a point, she was trying to show him that he has had a target on her back since they set off and he was being irrational about them taking no more than 15 minutes to swim.

'You are not as entertaining as you may think you are Miss. Niamh'

'Thorin we were having some fun. It won't get us any closer or further from Erebor'

There was a moment of him just looking at her, nostrils flaring as though trying to find the proper words and then he just snared out a 'If you are as strong as you believe yourself to be then stop acting so childish' he growled and with that he was gone, not giving Niamh a moment to continue to argue her point and she groaned.

She's never been great at understanding males, she understood them better than females surely, but every time she thought she'd figured something out, new ones with new mindsets came along.

She tried to keep her calm though she did stomp back to the lake where everyone had rushed out of the water as soon as they saw Niamh be pulled away.

Balin was waiting for her when she came over. 'Does Thorin hate dwarf women too, or am I just special?' she asked him when he handed her her blanket, damp from the rain but dry enough to keep her warm, a small thank you passing her lips.

'You need to understand that Thorin has risked everything for this journey'

She sighed 'I know, but he needs to understand we can't keep going without sleep or food or a break like we're his slaves'

Balin pressed his lips into a thin line 'Thorin wants to be an honorable king, a deserving one… just, try to see his side, will you lass?' Balin asked, a hopeful smile on his elder face.

She nodded after a moment and looked at him with a weak smile 'I will try'

As she made her way back to her pony she a sudden wave of lightheadedness hit her she was not use to. She supported herself against a tree and tried to shake her head to get rid of the feeling, her stomach turning once as she did and she closed her eyes for a moment until she heard Oin ask if she was alright.

She looked up at him and nodded 'Yes, I am fine'.


	6. Heavy in Your Arms

_**I hope no one minds that I'm stretching this story out a bit. I'm having too much fun writing and all the feedback, following, favourites make my day.**_

* * *

A few more days passed and she hasn't seen the moon in days, the thick trees covered all light whether sun or moon and she felt weak to her very bones. Moonlight was like food to Helinks', when Valas were on their own after helping llu'vatar create Middle Earth they depended on the light of the moon to guide their way and give them strength and it's been in their DNA ever since.

Balin had asked whether she was okay more than she would like but he was a sweet Dwarf and she couldn't get angry about sincerity. Thorin hadn't looked at her twice since they set off and she wondered if he disliked her for her gender or her disobedience, but she really tried not to care, at the moment she just didn't have the strength to.

The rain now came down in a wet haze rather than pouring as it had the days prior, it found its way to them even through the heavy trees, soaking their clothes and weighing heavy on their spirits and Niamh's head started playing tricks on her, her steps a little slower as the world around her moved and tilted and soon she found herself kneeling on the muddied ground.

'Niamh!' Bilbo said in a panic, quickly at her side and grasping her arm to keep her up.

The world was still spinning and she felt sick, weak, dizzy and cold. She didn't want to be the first to break on this journey, to be the damsel in distress and be the weakling but she couldn't keep two thoughts in her head or make up which pairs on feet were Thorin's as he made his way to her.

'What's wrong Niamh?' Balin asked, quickly at the young woman's side.

'Nothing, just, a little dizzy, I'm sorry Thorin. Just give me a minute' she said, annoyed with herself but when she raised her head to look at Thorin's face there was more concern than annoyance present on his face.

'Ori and Bofur, scout for some water for Miss Niamh' Thorin ordered and returned to his pony to tie them up for the evening.

'Thank you' she said in a weak whisper and Thorin turned for a moment and nodded.

Bilbo kept Niamh up by her arm and observed the little figure in his arms up close. It was the first time he noticed that her reddish brown hair had paled to a lifeless grayish brown and her skin felt cold. Niamh had always been oddly cold for a Hobbit, observed Bilbo. Hobbits are usually known for their warm bodies but somehow when Bilbo hugged or came in contact with Niamh she always felt like she'd stood in a winter's night, but this was extreme even for her. Her skin was cold enough to cool his own within seconds and Bilbo's concern started to grow.

'Niamh what's wrong with you?' he whispered to her but she wouldn't answer, she couldn't had she wanted to, she was stuck looking at the ground, trying to get up though she heard Gandalf from a bit further behind protest and soon the world wasn't only dizzying but fuzzy, and then fuzzy became dark and the last thing she heard was Bilbo saying her name again before she felt her head against Bilbo's shoulder and the world went black.

* * *

Niamh woke up several hours later when it was pitch black outside, the rain had stopped and seemed to be moving along to burden other travelers and she took in one deep breath before trying to blink her eyes open, but even the darkness of night was too bright for her eyes.

'Niamh, Niamh can you hear me?' Bilbo asked.

He hadn't left her side, not once and he felt like a puppy without a home, but no one in the group mocked him for it. A group of jokers and prankers accepted Bilbo's concern and matched it with their own.

Balin has left her side once, and only once. He wasn't sure what it was about the small figure making up their group but he felt the need to look after her, like a father would his child and when she woke up finally, under the frantic light of the fire they'd built he gave off a sigh of relief.

'Bilbo?' she said confused, for a moment she was rather worried why she wasn't in the Shire waking up from one of her famous hangovers with Bilbo bringing her tea and telling her of stories she wished he'd never seen.

Bilbo sighed in relief and placed a hand on her cheek 'Don't you ever, do that again' he told her, looking into her eyes once they opened, a serious expression and he felt a weight lifted off him, Niamh was alright, Niamh was safe.

She tried to sit up but she was weak. She's never spent so many days without the moon before so she wasn't prepared for the detox that came with it. The moon was always present somewhere in the Shire and if it wasn't she could go scouting for it without anyone really noticing.

'Lass you gave us such a scare' Balin said with another sigh of relief and kept his hand on her arm 'Don't try to sit up. If Mr. Baggins hadn't held you up you would've had a rather nasty fall. Oin made you a tea to help you gain back some strength. I'd suggest you plug your noise before you try it though.'

A weak smile passed her lips and she decided she'd rather try this mystery tea later but she thanked Balin along with Oin who was conveniently passing by, another concerned face glancing at her and she really wished she didn't look like such a weakling right now.

She looked over at Bilbo who's eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, bags under his eyes present from worry and for a second, only one, she regretted making him go on this quest.

The hand on her cheek was pulled away too soon and she wanted to ask him to lay with her and share the warmth she's stolen from him for so many years, but she kept silent, though all she wanted was to be 17 again and at Bilbo's doorstep to hide from the world.

'Miss. Niamh, what happened to you?' Dori asked and that was the first she noticed that all of the dwarves had not been far away either.

'Just got light-headed'

'That's a rather simple phrasing of passing out for 4 hours' Bilbo said, a concerned, almost angry tone in his voice as he observed her.

It looked as though the life had been sucked out of her, she was pale and cold, even for her circumstances and if he was honest, she looked close to death.

'I'll be fine in the morning' was her only comment and that's one thing Bilbo always hated about her. She shrugged off things that mattered and if she weren't lying on the ground in a near fetal position he would yell at her for it.

'Perhaps we should let young Niamh sleep for a while' Balin said, getting up and politely motioning the other dwarves to give her space, though Bilbo didn't move, he was still sitting next to her, watching as her eyes scanned the neighboring areas for any sign of the moon, but she feared it wasn't coming for her.

'Niamh, will you please tell me what wrong' Bilbo asked as calmly as he could but Niamh could hear the anger and desperation in his voice, he wanted so desperately to help her but he needed to know what he had to do.

She turned to him and smiled 'You really mustn't worry so much, it can't possibly be good for you' she said and his face fell into his hands 'You are impossible to take care of, do you know that?'

'I don't need taking care of' she told him and he snorted 'Well clearly' he said sarcastically, looking and pointing at her in her current state

She sighed 'Bilbo, do you want to do something useful?' she asked and he nodded slowly

She sat up with all the strength she had and placed the pillow neatly made of her blanket in his lap 'Be my pillow. I'll return the favour another day' she said and laid her head in his lap.

Bilbo sighed, pinching the bridge of his noise and looked down at the 'Hobbit'. He didn't know what was wrong with her, he didn't know how to help and he hated when that happened. Bilbo was Niamh's safety net as Niamh was his and if he couldn't help her, then maybe he was useless on this journey.

'Sleep well' he told her, moving a lock of hair from her face as she smiled weakly and soon was back asleep.

Bilbo let his head rest against the wall behind him and closed his eyes for just a moment, relief engulfing him though he wasn't completely without concern. He knew there was something wrong and mere lightheadedness was in no way a good enough excuse.

No more than 5 minutes passed before Bilbo saw Fili and Kili make their way to him.

'So tell us' Fili said, sitting next to Bilbo and Kili quickly behind when they were sure Niamh was sleeping 'What's wrong with Niamh?'

'I have no clue, she won't say but she's freezing and looks as pale as death'

They both looked down at her for a moment then at each other 'Maybe it's just a girl thing' Fili almost asked and Kili and Bilbo raised an eyebrow.

'I don't think passing out for no reason is a girl thing' Bilbo commented slowly then looked down at Niamh again 'She'll be alright in the morning Bilbo' Kili told him, patting him on the shoulder

Bilbo just nodded

'Come on Fili, she's in good hands' he told his brother too quiet for Bilbo to hear

'When she wakes up tell her I have a spare bow she can have' he just told him and quickly left them in peace.

He stroked her hair gently and he felt her stir lightly but merely smile and remain asleep.


	7. When Writing Your History

**_Sorry for the delay! School and I've just recently discovered the brilliance of Sherlock (I realise I'm late with this) _**

**_T_**_**his is the last explanation chapter, I promise, but this bit is important for later.**_****

**_As usual, thank you for the Reviews, Follows, Favourites and Readings... an average 200 people read every chapter WHICH IS INCREDIBLE!_**

* * *

It was the middle of that same night that Niamh suddenly woke. It was for no real reason other than that her body suddenly felt awake. She looked up and saw Bilbo's head lolled to the side, sleeping so soundly she could sit up and not wake him.

She looked up at the sky and through the heavy clouds and endless black she could see a sliver of the full moon glancing down at them.

Thank Goodness!

She knew though that she couldn't stay there. Helink's hair and eyes changed during full moons and she didn't want to risk the dwarves waking up to see it so she mustered up enough strength to move to a safer location a bit further from the group, the wall helping her as her legs felt weak.

She found a space far enough from the group just in time for her legs to give out again and she slid down the wall to the dusty ground with a groan. However the moon was soon shinning down at her and her head started to feel clearer.

A good half an hour had to pass before Niamh started regaining her strength, she feasted on the full moon, drinking it in like soup and suddenly the world that had recently felt so sad and dark started to develop some light.

Every inch of her was replenishing by the minute and soon she closed her eyes and relaxed against the stone wall behind her, smiling at the moon as though she was greeting an old friend when she heard someone's footsteps coming towards her, to heavy to be Bilbo's.

She opened one eye quickly and looked over in that direction 'Hello Thorin' she said, seeing him out of the corner of her eye. Gandalf knew, she was rather certain Balin had his thoughts and now she was positive Thorin could see her hair turn redder and she really wondered how she kept her life a secret for 20 years in the Shire.

'Good evening Miss. Niamh' he said, observing her for a moment. The night was silent, all the dwarves had gone to sleep and there were no sounds except for the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of a bird lost in the darkness of the night. There was a long moments pause and Niamh marked off a mental checklist of how Thorin would phrase his next words.

He took an inhale and she soon had her answer 'Is it wrong of me to be relieved you are not really a Hobbit?' he asked, a chuckle across his lips that no ones heard from him in years.

She smiled, a faint chuckle crossing her own lips, and looked at him 'Very wrong of you indeed Master Thorin... Well, if you are so clever do you know what I am?' she asked and after a long moment he shook his head

She sighed and rolled her eyes, patting the rock next to her to offer him a seat 'I'm a Helinks'

There was a moment's pause and she could see her words slowly sink into his skin as his expression grew more confused and he took the seat next to her

'I thought they were only legends'

She snorted, pinching the bridge of her nose 'Centuries of discoveries and revelations and all we've ended up being are stories of evil Vala slaying children in the night'

'I didn't mean to offend you' he said rather quickly

She shook her head 'It doesn't offend me. It makes me unhappy, however that is hardly your fault'

'Is this why you fainted this afternoon?'

She gave off an over exaggerated nod 'The moon soothes me, keeps me at peace. It gives me strength like food does for men, I had not seen it in so long, I passed out. I tend to avoid full moons though because my eyes and hair turn their natural colour and that might tip off some people if they saw' she said with a faint chuckle, holding up a lock of deep red hair between her fingers to show him.

Thorin took a moment to process what she had told him. The legends of the Helinks' were confusing, come only spoke of the happy forest people who loved nature and the good things in life while others spoke of the monsters they had allegedly become. Thorin had never given the Helinks much thought. Apart from some tales the old dwarves had told him as a child of their supposed encounters with the Helinks, graceful they were told to be, but he never really believed they existed.

'So are the other legends true as well? That men hunted you out of your homes?' He spoke after a moment

Suddenly Thorin related to the female making up their group, suddenly she was not a stranger far from home but a refugee as he himself was.

'89 years…' she merely stated

'So, you reside in the Shire as we do the Blue Mountains, even if it is not our real home… why do you not want to return to your people?' he asked, for the first time she felt like he was acknowledging her as an equal rather than just a liability.

She smiled slightly and shrugged 'There is no real home to go back to. The villages where we lived have been burned down and the people I use to care for have long changed into people I choose not to surround myself with. I like my life in the Shire... however this-' she said, looking out into the night and down at the group of dwarves that have become her friends 'this adventure is pretty brilliant'

Another moment's pause passed as Thorin looked down at his hands

'….I am aware I can be a handful' she said through clenched teeth and both knew that was her way of apologizing and the closet she was going to get to it.

She stood by her thoughts. Thorin was being too hard on the group and should learn to relax a bit more, but she did understand that this journey was everything to the group of dwarves and it wouldn't be very useful if she made his life even more complicated.

Again, Thorin didn't really answer, he just acknowledged the statement 'Will you riddle me something then? One thing I've never understood... why have Helink's always been so hunted?' Thorin asked, wanting to understand.

She smiled weakly, took a piece of cloth Oin had put on her forehead sometime during the night and asked for Thorin's sword.

She raised her pant leg just above the knees and sliced open a tiny patch of skin, no more than a hitched breath escaping her. The few drops of blood fell onto the cloth and Thorin looked at her with confusion. She placed the sword beside her and handed Thorin the cloth 'place it out of the moonlight' she said and he did as he was told. The blood that had once been red has turned to Silver. 'We're worth far more dead than alive. Because we are what created the earth, parts of it live inside us. Our blood still has the minerals and metals of the land. Some Helinks have gold, I have had to settle with Silver' she said and looked off, tugging down her pant leg.

He looked at the silver for a moment. 'If you get hurt-'

'I'll be fine Thorin. No one will now unless you tell them'

He let out a loud exhale 'But if-'

'I am responsible for my own fate. You gave Bilbo that privilege and I ask you to give me it as well'

Another moment's pause.

He made it clear that he could not insure Bilbo's safety on this journey but he now knowing how long this girl must have been running and hiding and fleeing for her life and now was risking it to help them; Thorin had never felt so humbled in his life. He nodded slowly, handing her back the cloth 'I suppose Bilbo does not know…' Thorin said

'What makes you say that?'

He smiled at her 'He wouldn't have let you come along and risk an Orc or Men finding out if he did'

She snorted 'Why is everyone acting as though Bilbo and I are an old married Hobbit couple? I don't need protecting from Bilbo'

'I do not believe you need protecting from anyone Miss. Niamh' he said, looking off then getting up

'I will leave you to enjoy the moon in peace'

'Bilbo doesn't know' she told him quickly 'I do trust your company Thorin but I would appreciate it if my secrets stayed my own'

He smiled at the figure 'Get some rest Lady Niamh, we leave with the first morning light'

She smiled and nodded and with that Thorin left as though he had never been there; a mysterious figure of few words and strong will and Niamh admired that.

She did not sleep, she felt rested enough to travel on so she just sat in the moonlight until it gave up its post for the evening in exchange for the sun and soon one dwarf after another woke and started gathering the necessities for breakfast.

She walked back over and greeted Bombur as he made his way past her cheerily to the fire to cook something and Gandalf merely gave her a small smile and a bowed head in which to bid her good morning and show her he was happy she was alright.

Bilbo was still in the same position she had left him, chest rising and falling with every mellow breath and she smiled down at him and shook her head, kneeling down to her friend.

'Bilbo!' she said in what seemed like an excited squeal, shaking her friend awake.

Bilbo growled and groaned for a few moments as her shaking did not stop and rubbed his eyes 'What?'

'Wake up you lazy Hobbit; It is a beautiful day. The sun is shinning!' she grinned and Bilbo's eyes opened, confused. A tone that cheery had not been heard from Niamh in all the years he's known her. Her mellow voice and independent persona rather made her a down to earth person and something as simple as sun was not likely to bring up such enthusiastic emotions.

Bilbo looked at her and the confusion grew; Niamh was fine, better than fine, she looked as though she'd slept for a month and had done nothing but eat and drink and enjoyed herself

'Feeling better?' he asked with a yawn

'Yes, I feel fantastic, come on, Bombur made breakfast' she said, tugging him up.

'Niamh!' he said, grabbing her arm and made her look at him. He observed her face as she was staring at him as confused as he felt. How was this possible, how was she completely alright? He just sighed after a moment, figuring he should not ask because she'd lie if he did.

'I'm glad you're feeling better'


	8. Niamh Can't Cook

_**Sorry it's taken so long to update. It's drizzling outside and I'm unofficially strapped to my bed cause I'm sick, so I have all day to update another chapter to make up for my lateness. Please blame the flu for my writing, I can't keep two thoughts in my head.**_

* * *

She really tried to understand.  
She watched Bifur attentively as he yelled out something she didn't comprehend and made hand gestures that to her always looked like he was strangling something, no matter what it was he was trying to say.

He was attempting to tell her about his head injury and why he can only speak in a secret Dwarf language but after the third time, she started coming to the conclusion she would never understand.  
'All right, once more. Axe, Dwarf, Head, but how… bloody hell can someone just tell me what happened to Bifur!' she asked, looking around at the company of dwarves on their ponies as they chuckled around her  
'Why should we? This is far more entertaining' Bofur smiled at her

They were traveling through the forest as usual but the trees had thinned out and the setting sun was smiling down on them as they made their way to their next campsite and for once no one was complaining.

She groaned, closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and looked at him again  
'Explain again please'

'You're really being far too nice' Bilbo commented a few steps behind  
'Look at him, he's putting in so much effort, it would just be rude to stop now' she said with an amused smile.

Farther ahead she could see Thorin and Gandalf in a bit of a feud under a burnt down shed.  
'What do you think they're arguing about?' Bilbo asked, leaning over to Niamh a bit as though afraid Thorin might hear him.  
'We're getting close to Rivendell Master Baggins, I'm sure Gandalf will suggest we go to the elves for guidance' Dori said with an almost disgusted expression on his face and that must have been what they were feuding about because soon Gandalf, in his grey cloak and dominant height was rushing past them back into the forest.  
"Where are you going Mr. Gandalf?' Bofur asked as everyone watched the grey wizard leave.

'I'm seeking the company of the only person here with any sense...'  
'And who's that?' Bilbo asked  
'Myself Mr. Baggins!' Gandalf growled as he passed Niamh and she followed him even though Bilbo tried holding her back by her arm.  
'Mr. Gandalf you're not going to leave us, are you!'?

'I need some quiet Miss. Niamh, away from the stubbornness of dwarves. I suggest you go back to the others because the language I may use may be quite foul'  
She smiled and continued picking up her speed to walk next to the wizard with far larger steps than hers.  
'You haven't been around drunken Hobbits on the first night of summer Mr. Gandalf, I would be impressed if you could outshine them, but I will leave you in peace if you promise to return'  
Gandalf stopped for a moment and took a deep calming breath and smiled down at her 'you are a rather charming creature young Niamh'

'So I've been told' she shrugged  
'I am looking ahead for some real shelter, I will return when my search is done'

Niamh, nodded, content with that answer and made her way back to the others. The dwarves had started to set up camp and a fire was going which guided her back in the darkness of the night. Everyone's eyes rose lightly from what they were doing when she arrived and she noticed an odd amused expression on Bilbo's face but Dori was speaking before she could address it.  
'Will he be returning?' Dori asked, slightly concerned and she nodded before she saw Bombur waddle over to her  
'Miss. Niamh, it is your night to cook'

Her face dropped and she looked at Bilbo again whose expression grew smug in her eyes  
'I... uhh, that's not a wise choice. Bilbo's a great cook' she tried but Bombur shook his head  
'Everyone must take turns'

She eyes shot to Bilbo again 'This was your doing, wasn't it?' she asked with a raised finger and he nodded almost proudly  
'You can kill the food, cooking it isn't nearly as difficult'

'Must I remind you of your birthday last year?'

_As we have concluded a while back, Niamh cannot cook. Naturally so, for Bilbo's birthday he asked for nothing more than for her to cook for the small gathering of people coming for his birthday._  
_She agreed with a few unnecessary swear words thrown in and left his house with a pit in her stomach and a determined expression._

_On his birthday, Bilbo had arrived at her house promptly and noticed an odd smoke coming out of her window. He knocked on the door vigorously and soon the small creature opened it._  
_By the burnt smell and the state of her, something had gone terribly wrong with the cooking._  
_'Is it too late to say No to the cooking?' she asked, scratching the back of her head_

_Bilbo smiled at her but slowly made his way into her home without a word. _  
_There had been a fire, one that, with the state of the kitchen, looked as though she had lit some fireworks in the chicken as it cooked. The walls were splattered with vegetables and meat and the smoke he had seen was the aftermath of the fire that had erupted in her stove, which she had only put out 2 minutes prior to his arrival._

_She looked even more intriguing though. She was wearing the ugliest, frilliest, most feminine dress in her wardrobe in some hopes that the power of femininity would rub off on her if she wore it. Her apron was burnt and she was covered in flower, which Bilbo didn't understand because he saw no traces of cake splattered on her walls and didn't understand why she'd even needed flower._  
_Her face was bright red, partly due to frustration, partly to despair and partly due to indescribable embarrassment. Her hair a mess, sauce stains on her dress and she just looked... lovely, in his eyes._  
_She ruffled some of her hair and was on the verge of tears but covered it with a hopeless chuckle and he just held her with a smile and told her it'd be all right._

Looking back at her after reliving the memory, he sighed 'If I help, will that be some guarantee that our dinner won't grow legs and walk away?' Bilbo asked with a sheepish smile on his face and he watched as Niamh's eyes narrowed, her pursed lips and he knew that expression was the calm before the storm.

She didn't answer, she just grabbed him by his sleeve and dragged him to the fire, stomping her feet like a small child might.

* * *

Even through protest, Niamh did most of the cooking, Bilbo just stayed by her side as they joked and remembered their lives in the Shire. Rather amused laughs coming from Niamh as they discussed the pub fight Bilbo had talked his way out of a few months prior to their journey.

_Bilbo had been plastered thanks to Niamh (as usual) and had gone up to a female Hobbit with the incentive to ask her on a date, again due to the falsely innocent words of encouragement from Niamh. Just a few moments later, the female Hobbit's spouse came into the pub and though Niamh tried to pull Bilbo away from the table when she saw him walk in, he wasn't listening._

_After a few rather threatening statement's from the larger, stronger Hobbit, all Bilbo could think to do was to go on the longest, nonsensical ramble anyone had ever heard and by the end, neither the angry Hobbit, Niamh, or Bilbo himself had any idea what he was talking about and when Bilbo thought the moment was right, he grabbed Niamh and left, leaving the other Hobbit too confused to remember why he was angry to start with. _  
Niamh laughed again, wiping an amused tear off her cheek 'You can talk you way out of anything can't you?'

'Fear is an excellent motivator' he told her with a smile  
'Master Burglar, would you mind coming with us for a moment?' Kili asked, walking up to them with Fili at his side, slightly nervous and looking over at Thorin to see if he had acknowledged their presence, he hadn't.  
Bilbo raised an eyebrow and looked at up them 'Are you going to throw me into a lake? Because I'm not as light as Niamh'  
'There is a small problem, with the horses…' Kili said, not meeting Bilbo and Niamh's confused gazes. Bilbo looked at Niamh again who just shrugged and then slowly got up to follow the others, giving Niamh's dinner one last look.

'You may need to pay them to eat this, I hope you know that' Bilbo said with a smirk and Niamh pushed him away  
'Go. Find the lost ponies. Make yourself useful.'

When Niamh was sure everything in the pot was dead she poured a bowl of it and walked over to an aggravated Thorin.  
'Here' she said, handing Thorin a bowl a soup with a grim expression 'I'm sure you suggested this stupid cooking rule'  
Thorin took the bowl cautiously keeping his eyes on Niamh and slowly took a sip of the soup, his face turning sour  
'This is the most repulsive thing I've ever eaten in my entire life' he said with a cough and a laugh and Niamh chuckled and shrugged  
'I do believe I warned you all, I cannot cook to safe my soul'  
He was going to give off a remark Niamh was sure would roll her eyes over but he stopped when he noticed Fili and Kili running towards them.

'Mr. Baggins needs our help!' Fili yelled, jumping over a few tree stomps on his way to Thorin  
'Trolls had stolen some of our horses and Bilbo has gone to rescue them!'

'You let him go alone!?' Niamh said, a pit in her stomach 'He's our burglar, we thought-'  
'He's Bilbo!' she yelled, more concerned than she wanted to seem and she'd curse herself for that later.  
She turned back to Thorin 'Thorin what are they going to do with him!' Niamh asked in a panic, looking over at Thorin who was already making his way towards the forest.  
'Niamh, find Gandalf' he called and the dwarves followed him as moths would a flame.  
'Thorin let me help!' she yelled  
'Get Gandalf!' he just yelled back at her and was disappeared into the trees, leaving Niamh alone at the edge of the forest to search for a wandering wizard instead of helping her best friend.

* * *

**_If anyone has any suggestions about this story, please do let me know. I will know pass out for a few hours and return to writing then. Thank you as usual for reading!_**


	9. Happiness, Is Just Outside My Window

_**(There's a very bad word in this one, I apologize. It won't happen again!)**_

* * *

Niamh found Gandalf in an open field, where the grass had turned yellow and brown and boulders and stones took the place of trees.

When they made their way back to the campsite no one was there, but faintly they could hear the movement and muttering of their company.

Carefully making their way over they began to get a better scene of what was going on. The trolls were sitting around their campfire, three of them, disgusting creatures Niamh noted. Their company had been captured and were now separated.  
Halve of the dwarves were thrown in the corner, they included Kili and Fili, Balin and Thorin, Gloin and Dalin. The other's included Bofur and the others and they were dangling over the fire as you would see a roasted pig on a spit pole over an open flame.

Bilbo was standing up, tied up in a bag from the neck down and Niamh could make out the words 'The secret to cooking dwarf...'.  
Obviously he was pressing for more time, or helping to get rid of the company so he could go home, though that was the unlikely scenario.  
'Gandalf what do we do?' Niamh asked the tall wizard as he continued to watch then scene then turned behind him to look at the horizon.

'Get Bilbo's attention, make sure he keeps stalling' he said and quickly disappeared again.

Niamh looked at the horizon and noticed the black of night had turned a navy blue and it'd only be a matter of minutes now for the sun to come up. Perfect.

'Pstt' She tried, waving her arms around to get his attention but to be honest, he was a bit too occupied with the giant trolls about to eat them to really notice her.  
'Bilbo!' she hissed again and this time Gloin noticed her.

Gloin wasn't as discreet in getting Bilbo's attention, he scooted over enough in his bag to kick Bilbo lightly (debatable) in the leg and he almost fell over  
'What?'  
Gloin nodded his head in direction Niamh. Bilbo looked over and saw the leaf green eyes and heart-shaped face of Niamh, knowing she was safe and Gandalf was near, Bilbo felt a little weight fall off his shoulders.  
A small smile on her lips, she looked over at the sun again; it was just above the hilltops now and then back at Bilbo and motioned him to keep talking.

'They have parasites, in their…. Tubes'  
Niamh cocked an eyebrow _Interesting choice of words_

At first the dwarves became insulted and commented against it and if Niamh could she would have thrown something at them but her head merely fell in her hands  
_Stupid, stupid boys._

Thorin gave Fili a kick though and soon they realized what was going on.  
'I've got parasites as big as my arms!' Gloin yelled and the rest soon followed, just in time for the sun to bath the lands over the hilltops in light and Gandalf reappeared on top of the rock now blocking the sunlight.

'What is that?' one of the trolls asked as Gandalf stood on the boulder  
'Can we eat him too!'? the other asked

'The Dawn Will Take You!' Gandalf announced, raising his staff and splitting the rock in halve, shinning the light on the stone trolls. Niamh found Bilbo's eyes in the excitement of it all and she could see the relief pass his face, a genuine smile of gratitude across his lips as the trolls stopped twitching and soon the only sounds heard where the rustling of the trees, the crinkle of the fire and a round of relived sighs from the dwarves as Gandalf and Niamh made their way down to help them out of their bondage. Niamh ran up to Bilbo and gave him a hug, a heavy sigh of relief leaving her

'Bilbo Baggins, talking his way out of trouble as usual. That never seems to fail you.' she with a chuckle in the verge of genuine though still the nerves crept through it, as she untied him from the bag.  
'Honestly wouldn't have done me much good had you not been there' he smiled at her.  
She smiled as well but then noticed for the first time some blood falling down his forehead  
'Bilbo, you're hurt!' she said with a small gasp  
'I'm all right Niamh, don't worry' he told her as though he didn't know that would do absolutely nothing to sooth Niamh.

She looked around and noticed a few scratched up faces amongst her male company as they untied each other and she turned to Gandalf 'They need some time to rest' she told him before his attention was pulled away by Thorin approaching.

'Where did you go?' Thorin asked  
Gandalf, with a small relaxed and wise smile just said 'I went to look ahead'  
'And what made you come back?  
'Looking behind' he said with a larger smile and looked at the trolls 'They couldn't have traveled throughout the day'  
'There must be a cave somewhere' Thorin decided and Gandalf nodded, looking over at the wary travelers 'Yes, we shall look for it later. However, it looks as though your clan of dwarves are rather tired from an unrested evening. Let us enjoy a little rest before we go on seeking more disturbances'  
-

* * *

Gloin and Nori passed out water to those injured by the troll incident. Kili and Fili and gone to watch for strangers and Gandalf sat quietly by himself planning their next move.

Niamh had gone to search through her bag for something and when she came back it was with a large bottle of something clear, but they were sure it wasn't water. She took one quick swig from it and shook her head as it went down 'Blimmy!' she said as she looked at the liquid, wiped her mouth with her sleeve and went to sit in the rock opposite Balin.  
'I'm aright lass, Ori and Bilbo are worse off than I am' Balin smiled slightly at the little figure as she tore off a piece of her shirt and dunked it into the alcohol  
'There's enough to go around Balin, and that swipe by the troll didn't do you much good' she said, dabbing his forehead wound with the cloth and he reclined and hissed  
'Sorry' she said quietly, cleaning the wound with an apologetic smile but Balin just smiled back 'You're a good lass Niamh, thank you' he said.  
Balin was starting to become something Niamh had always missed, a protector, a dad. Niamh has faint memories of her father, a strong generous man who cared for her a lot but as the years pass she begins to forget the little things that made him so special to her and Balin reminded her. The strong, calm and mindful spirit that kept a group in order. She admired that because she had spent so much of her life causing chaos instead of trying to prevent it.

When she cleaned up Balin's wounds she looked around for her next patient and she knew who it was  
'Thorin come here' she said without a shred of discreetness in her words. Thorin looked at her 'It's no more than a scratch, tend to Ori instead'

She rolled her eyes, wondering why always the strongest are the most suborn and tugged him by the sleeve of his shirt 'It will take 4 seconds and you won't get it infected' she said, placing a hand on his shoulder to set him down on a rock, he followed reluctantly  
'You need to stop worrying too much about others when their need isn't severe' he said, looking off as she took a new cloth and dunked it in alcohol  
She smiled 'I'm female Thorin; it unfortunately comes with the territory. I've tried to fight it for many years but I'm afraid you're stuck with me caring about a small head wound. If it makes you feel better, if you're ever somewhere bleeding to death, my medical expertise will be too exhausted and I can't help you' she said with a faint chuckle and he gave off another rare smile 'Words every fighter wants to hear'  
'I figured as much' she said and dabbed the wound on his cheek till she felt comfortable letting him roam free with it.  
'There, was that so bad' she sighed as Thorin got up quickly, he bowed his head once 'thank you Niamh' he said coolly but with sincerity and continued along to Gandalf to see what the next plans were.

Niamh next cleaned up Ori, who was still in slight shock of previous events she told him about a time where she fought a werewolf on her adventures, a story she didn't tell many people, and he was far too excited about it to worry about his own injuries.  
'Ori darling, that Troll got you good' she said as she got the second cloth and something to wrap up the wound around his arm  
'Don't worry about me Miss. Niamh, strong as an axe I am' he told her and she smiled up at him. Seeing so much of the fire that shined in her eyes in his.

Ori insisted on a kiss on his wound when she was done patching him up and then quickly made his way to the others who were further off roaming for the cave.

Bilbo was standing with the horses, feeding his own another apple unnoticeably to all but her. 'Bilbo' she called for him and he turned to her, his lip blustered open and a streak of blood crusting around his forehead  
'Time to face the music' she smiled, holding up the alcohol.

Bilbo sighed but made his way over 'You're going to enjoy my misery aren't you?' he said in a smile. Bilbo's wounds weren't severe but they were still the worst, the scrap on his head was enough to cause some worries and his lip was swelling from the dirt that already had gotten in contact with the wound.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, leaning down to get a better angle as she dabbed the wound once and she heard him yell out a curse word Bilbo really doesn't use often. 'I really hope you didn't just call me a Cunt' she said, trying to muster the best appalled tone in her voice  
'No, of course not, just…. Bloody hell that hurts' he said, squinting his eyes shut as the pain came back in waves.  
'I'm sorry, maybe you shouldn't have gotten yourself caught' she said lightly, gently getting rid of the blood on his forehead 'You do realize that part of our agreement of me coming along is that you are not allowed to get yourself killed right? Or had you missed the small print?'

'Your concern is endearing' he said with a smile though he went it genuinely  
'I mean it. You die, I am on the next pony back to the Shire and then we'll see how far these dwarves will get' she said, a smile on her face that reached her eyes  
he sighed 'I-I was trying to get back the horses' he just said, closing his eyes as the pain subsided a bit  
'They're just horses' she sighed and he reclined to look at her 'you are a truly dreadful person' he chuckled with fake surprise

'Oh shut up' she smiled and pulled him closer by his jacket till he slid down the rock and they were at eye level with each other, eyes scanning faces as though they hadn't really seen each other in months.

Niamh swallowed and looked at the ground, getting a cloth again and raised it to his lips 'May I?' she asked and he just smiled 'Need you ask?' he said, tensing a bit to brace himself.

She gently swiped the cloth along his swollen lip and his eyes shut tight. 'I'm sorry' she said and sounded, vaguely sincere though there was still a light smile on her face.  
'It's fine' he said, taking a slow breath and opened his eyes to meet her leaf green ones.

A small smile played on his features and she chuckled awkwardly 'what are you smiling at?' she said, dabbing the corners of his lips clean and brushed along his lower lip again though if she's honest, it wasn't needed.  
He shrugged 'You have pretty eyes, that's all' he smiled at her and looked off peacefully and she wondered if he could feel the heat of her blush from where he was sitting.

There was always a problem with this however.  
Because Niamh knew that Bilbo had feelings for her and Bilbo was too set on the idea that she needed someone braver and more masculine that he did not see that she really did want him as well. The problem was not that, it had never been that extra inch between them that kept Niamh from Bilbo it was the nagging feeling in her soul that for 20 years she has nonverbally stated that she was a Hobbit, that she was born in Bree and when her parents died for reasons she had to write down to remember she made her way to the Shire. She had celebrated birthday's and Hobbit holidays, taken shelter in their village and accepted their trust as though she deserved it and at no point had she told any of them, even Bilbo, that she came to the Shire as a last resort after having killed more creatures than she wished to say and felt sick to her stomach because she could not look forward without looking back at the horrible things she's done.  
She didn't deserve someone as genuine as Bilbo and that was the inch that kept her away, not the distance but the disgrace.

She cleared her thought and looked off  
'Let's find that cave shall we?' she said with a faked smile Bilbo recognized as such and she quickly got up and walked in direction Bofur.


	10. Hold Your Breath and Count to 10

As they made their way into the cave the air became fouler by the second and Niamh tugged her shirt over her nose to take in any of the remaining Shire scent the shirt might give her.

'Bloody hell, I think I may pass out' Ori said, shaking his head a few times as if the smell was nothing more than an annoying mosquito and she spotted Nori rushing past her with two shovels.

'What are you guys doing?' Niamh asked as she walked up to Gloin Nori and Bofur digging and Dwalin looking at them with an unimpressed expression

'We're making a long term deposit' Gloin said, shoving more dirt unto the box

She raised and eyebrow and looked at Dwalin

'Won't they have enough in Erebor?' she asked and he snorted 'Do you believe _reasoning_ with them will work?' he counter asked

She smiled and shrugged 'Suppose you're right'

Dwalin looked at Niamh for a moment then pulled out a sword he had thought of keeping for himself.

'Here' Dwalin said, handing her a sword but she looked at it with a crooked smile and shook her head 'I'm fine with my bow, thank you'

'Every fighter needs a sword' Dwalin was a headstrong quiet creature. There wasn't much use debating with him.

She rolled her eyes and took it, thanking him almost silently and making her way out of the cave once the smell refused to subside.

She could see Gandalf speak to Bilbo as he handed him a sword as well. She was rather hopeless with a sword, what on earth would Bilbo do with one? The thought of Bilbo aimlessly flinging the object around trying to defend himself popped into her head and it made her smile.

Her moment of peace was short lived however, when she heard some rustling in the trees, a few seconds before the others stopped to listen as well.

_No thank you, we would rather not be attacked today. Not after that Troll incident _Niamh thought, thinking of the already wary group of travelers.

She stood at the edge of their current residence, looking out into the trees as she saw something come closer and she could swear rabbits were powering it?

Out of the bushes sprung about half a dozen rabbits, a sled and a figure with a wizard hat.

'Radagast' Gandalf said with mixed relief and joy, while you could see everyone in the company relax.

'I've been looking everywhere for you Gandalf' the small figure said, getting off his sled in a hurry but then chose to greet everyone first, throwing everyone a quick glance and a 'Hello. Hello, Hello. A female. Well hello there' he asked, smiling at her, surprised to see a female Hobbit in a group of dwarves.

'Nice to meet you Mr. Radagast'

'Is there something that you needed?' Gandalf asked, drawing Radagast's attention back again and Radagast turned to him quickly as though he was excited to tell his story but then his eyebrows scrunched together and he looked down confused

'I had a thought. And now I've lost it. It was on the tip of my tongue'

'Is he related to Bifur by any chance?' Bilbo asked Dori who chuckled quietly to himself

Radagast searched the ground as though to look for his thought and then his eyes shot up to Gandalf 'Oh, but it's not a thought at all... It's an old, stick insect'

'You have to be joking' she heard Thorin grumble next to her and she bit her lip to hide her chuckle

'Oh don't be like that Thorin, he's charming'

Thorin snorted and looked at her then at Radagast again 'I'm sure you and he would make for some truly endearing small talk. The loudmouth and the Nutter'

'Maybe you can't see charm because you have none Master Oakenshield' she said, straightening herself up and continued to listen to Radagast even when Thorin's gaze was on her, her face trying to hide her smirk.

'The forest is sick Gandalf. Nothing grows anymore, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay, but the worst are the webs' That made Niamh stop to listen a bit more carefully

'Webs?' they heard Gandalf ask

'Spiders Gandalf. Giant ones' Radagast said and Thorin could feel Niamh cringe next to him and he turned to her again with a smile

'What? Is the loudmouth afraid of spiders?' he asked slightly more amused than would have been to her liking and she just sighed

'I'm sorry I'm a girl al right? I can still shoot an apple off Nori's head; I just cannot deal with spiders'

Thorin smirked and thought for a moment, looking back at her to say 'You really are the strangest girl I've ever met'

She smiled 'I'm going to take that as a compliment and do not convince me otherwise' she said and went to stand next to Bofur, deciding she didn't want to hear the rest of Radagast's tale.

'Not keen on Spiders, Miss. Niamh?' Bofur asked with a small smirk on his face and she rolled her eyes 'It is not polite to mock the faults of others. I do not insult your hat' she told him rather matter-of-factly.

He chuckled and straightened his hat 'I think it suits me quite fine' he commented back

'Hey' Kili almost asked, walking up to them though he kept his eyes at a space further into the trees 'What's that noise?' Kili asked, looking around with wide eyes.

'Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?' Bilbo asked, suddenly all too aware of the noises Kili was hearing.

Niamh heard something shuffle the leaves on the ground behind her and grabbed an arrow while turning around to the Warg and shot the creature down before half of the dwarves had even seen it.

As it fell Niamh's stomach flopped, this felt far too familiar to her.

She looked at it for a second, nostrils flaring and confused 'What did I just kill?' she_ then_ decided to ask, looking down at the wolf like creature

'It's a Warg, that means an Orc pack isn't far behind' Thorin growled as he passed her

'Orc pack!' Bilbo asked with a clear panic in his voice.

'Who did you tell about your Quest Thorin?' Gandalf asked in the authoritative tone that made a shiver of fear run down some spines.

'No one' he almost muttered to himself but Gandalf wasn't having it

'Who did you tell!'?

'No One' he yelled up at the old complain, the two glaring at one another 'Gandalf, what is going on?'

'You're being hunted' Gandalf told him, almost pacing in order to figure out a plan.

'When's a good time to tell them the ponies bolted? Nori whispered to Balin and Niamh overheard, turning quickly to Radagast

'You need to help us' she pleaded but it fell on deaf ears because Radagast was already brewing up a plan.

'I'll distract them. You make your way' he told Gandalf who shook his head before Radagast had finished his sentence.

'They'll simply outrun you'

'These are rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try'

* * *

They waited for as long as they could for Radagast to get as far away from them as possible, having the Orcs who were appearing rapidly from the other side of the trees migrate where Radagast led.

'Follow me, Bilbo, Niamh, stay close' Gandalf told the and Bilbo just for a brief second thought again of the Shire as they suddenly were on the move.

Everyone followed the directions of Gandalf as they made their way through the open spaces, hiding behind a boulder when they could and could hear the quick feet of Radagast's rabbits escaping the heavy steps of the wargs.

One of the Orcs though had sensed the travelers as they passed another rock and made his way to them, standing on the boulder they were heading behind and everyone froze in place.

All kept quiet as they could hear the heavy breathing of the warg above them. They weren't going to make it out of this open space without being seen by one of these Orcs, Niamh thought, taking a bow slowly out of her bag and looked at Kili who nodded

'Let him pass' Thorin said with a low tone, ordering her to stand down and Niamh has never lived to be ordered around.

She got out from behind the rock though Bilbo tried to pull her back and shot the arrow into the Wargs neck, having it and the Orc fall to the ground in front of them with a horridly loud cry.

When the Wag and Orc came tumbling down to the ground where they stood Dwalin and Bifur were quick to silence the Orc while the Warg continued its horrid cries until Niamh shot it with another arrow.

'Perfect' Thorin growled under his breath

'I think it's best if we go now' Balin suggested, hearing the Wargs come closer and the group made their way into the open, all hope of escaping unnoticed shattered.

The other Orcs were already making their way over to them, ignoring Radagast even through his calls and made their way with one goal in mind; Thorin.

They spread out and together enclosed the group of travelers from all sides and soon the companies running slowed when they discovered there was nowhere really left to go.

Niamh stayed close to Bilbo and looked around for guidance, noticing a rather crucial member of their clan missing

'Oi, where's Gandalf!' she called and everyone looked around, not daring to take their eyes off the Orcs for too long.

'He's gone!' Fili yelled in a panic

'Gandalf's abandoned us' Dwalin called and Niamh ignored his hopeless statement, Gandalf wouldn't do that… right?

They subconsciously formed a circle with Kili and Niamh on opposite sides, shooting at anything at a good angle. There was no way they could clear the field of all of them and that was becoming imminent by the second.

'What should we do?' Niamh asked Bilbo who looked panicked but not as lost as you might have expected

'Go home. We should go home now' he told her and she merely smiled, trying to keep her shaking hand steady as she shot another Warg. 'Was this not the adventure you were hoping for?'

'Not quite what I had in mind, if I'm honest'

'Over here you fools!' Gandalf called, poking his head out from behind the rock that was hiding the cave he had found.

Bilbo could almost see Niamh recline a bit; thanking her lucky stars but stayed in place

'Go Bilbo' she told him

'Are you crazy, you're coming with me' he told her, almost pulling the figure towards Gandalf

'I'll be there in a second' she hissed over her shoulder and tried to keep her focus

Bilbo groaned 'I will physically hurl you down that hole'

She didn't respond, she had to stay focused because the Orcs seemed to be increasing in quantity and the last thing Niamh needed was to get hurt and bleed silver blood in front of Bilbo and a growing Orc pack

Bilbo sighed, he really did hate her stubbornness 'You have 2 minutes. Be careful' he told her steadily and followed the others as everyone made their way to the space while both Kili and Niamh stayed to shoot down as many Orcs as they could.

'Kili, Niamh get over here now!' Thorin roared

Niamh shot another Orc off his Warg before Kili was tugging at her and telling her to get to safety.

She stayed a little while longer, clearing as many as she could but soon the numbers just became too many and when Kili told her again to get to safety she nodded and made her way over, greeted by the angriest expression she had seen on Thorin's face to date before she slid down and landed in Bofur's arms 'Got you Miss. Niamh'

She smiled at him and let out a loud exhale 'Thank you Bofur'

A few seconds later they heard the sounds of arrows and horses approach and just a few seconds after Kili and Thorin slid down to their hiding spot and Orc fell dead on the ground in front of them.

Dwalin kneeled next to the corpse and took out the arrow from its neck 'Elf' Dwalin said almost in disgust as Thorin made his way to Niamh and she knew she was in for another fight.


End file.
